


Into the Warmth  (the Amazing and Interesting remix)

by Elennare



Category: Malory Towers - Enid Blyton
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:11:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26470162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/pseuds/Elennare
Summary: As Clarissa and Bill move into their new home, Clarissa looks back to the most wonderful day of her life.
Relationships: Clarissa Carter/Wilhelmina "Bill" Robinson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10
Collections: Remix Revival 2020





	Into the Warmth  (the Amazing and Interesting remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KannaOphelia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KannaOphelia/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Amazing and Interesting](https://archiveofourown.org/works/373319) by [KannaOphelia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KannaOphelia/pseuds/KannaOphelia). 



> For KannaOphelia - I hope you like it! 
> 
> The title was borrowed from KannaOphelia's "Amazing and Interesting" which this fic remixes.

Clarissa and Bill stood on their drive, waving madly, as a gleaming Bentley drove off and several horses cantered away. They had moved into their new riding school today, with their families joining them to help them with the move. A couple of Bill’s brothers had offered to stay for the first night if the girls were nervous about being on their own, but Bill had laughed the offer to scorn, much to Clarissa’s relief. She was grateful for their help, of course, and certainly it would have taken her and Bill much longer to get sorted out if they’d had to move everything themselves, but she wanted their first night to be theirs alone. 

Once the horses and cars vanished from view, Clarissa looked back at the house, green eyes shining. At  _ their _ house, their home. Hers and Bill’s. Despite all the planning that had gone into this moment, all the weeks and months of anticipation throughout their last term at school, now they were here she almost couldn’t believe it. Was it really true, that this was to be their home? Would they really cook their meals in the kitchen at the back, sit in those armchairs she could see through the open windows, sleep in the bed upstairs? They had two bedrooms, of course, for appearance's sake, but they had already settled long ago which one they would sleep in and which would be more of a second sitting-room.

“Shall we take a last look at Thunder and Merrylegs before we go back in?” Bill asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Clarissa nodded. “They seemed to be settling in well, but we should make sure.”

Bill grinned and linked arms with her, pulling her towards the stables. The two horses looked up as they entered, Thunder snorting softly and Merrylegs whickering. Clarissa breathed in deeply, taking in all the warm, familiar smells of a stable, as she walked over to her beloved horse. 

“Well, Merrylegs, do you like your new home?” Clarissa asked, scratching his ears. “We’re here for good now, no more going from one place to another for term time and holidays…”

As she spoke, her mind went back over the past three years, over all the different stables she and Merrylegs had known, had shared with Thunder and Bill… There were the stables at home, of course - no, she corrected herself, her parents’ home. This was home now. There were the Robinsons’ stables, with all the many horses that were as much a part of Bill’s family as the humans were… and certainly the horses were a lot less scary to Clarissa than the big, loud brothers! And, perhaps most beloved, there were the stables at Malory Towers. 

There had been so many moments spent in those stables at Malory Towers, as they snatched every second they could there, that a lot of them blurred together. Some, though, were crystal-clear. Standing here, in their stables, their home, Clarissa vividly remembered one, the most important of her life. 

She’d been growing more and more restless and unhappy by the day, as their last year flew by, the time when they would start their new life together came nearer and nearer, and still Bill seemed not to understand. It was so hard, when saying things directly felt so risky. She’d tried to drop hints, when they were out riding or in their shared study, but Bill - dear, honest, direct Bill - had missed them all. At least, Clarissa had been fairly sure she’d missed them, and wasn’t ignoring them to spare her feelings - such delicacy would be most unlike Bill! But how could she get her to understand? It was a puzzle Clarissa couldn’t solve, ruining her sleep and spoiling her appetite. It made her cross, too - that day that ended so wonderfully, she’d known she was snapping at Bill unfairly when the other girl was only concerned for her health, but she couldn’t help it. How could she not realise?

Then Bill had asked those terrifying questions - was running the riding school really something to count on? What if one of them got married? Clarissa had tried, yet again, to make Bill understand, make her see how Clarissa felt. But still, still, she didn’t, and Clarissa had started to fear that maybe she’d been wrong about everything. Maybe Bill only saw her as a friend, maybe one day she’d marry and leave her behind. The thought was unbearable, and forced Clarissa to be more blunt than she had been so far, to tell Bill outright that she’d be happy to marry her. 

When Bill replied that she wished they could, but still didn’t seem to quite understand, still looked at Clarissa in that nervous way, as if she was about to bolt, something had snapped inside her. The weeks and months of restraint, of careful hints… she was sick of them. If words couldn’t get the truth through Bill’s thick head, maybe actions would. Half-blinded by tears, she flung her arms about Bill’s neck, searching for the other girl’s mouth by feel. And Bill - Bill hugged her back, scattering kisses across her cheeks until their lips met, and they kissed over and over. 

It was everything Clarissa had dreamt of for so long, and so much better than her dreams. She hadn’t dreamt of the softness of Bill’s voice as she called her ‘darling’; of her eyes lighting up when Clarissa told her she loved her; of the way Clarissa’s head fit so perfectly into the crook of Bill’s neck, as if it was made to rest there… She had never dared to dream of Bill dropping to one knee and asking Clarissa to marry her. 

“Clarissa! Hie, Clarissa! Have you gone deaf?” Bill called out, and Clarissa blinked, coming back to the present with a start.

“I’m sorry, Bill, I was thinking - what is it?” 

“I was asking what you were thinking about,” Bill replied with a grin. “You seemed to be miles away!”

“I was remembering our wedding,” Clarissa said, smiling up at her.

Bill’s grin softened into a loving smile. “Oh, darling,” she said, and kissed her deeply. 

Clarissa kissed her back, thrilling with the knowledge they could do this any time they wanted now. No need to sneak around, no fear of being interrupted - this was their home. Wonderful as the years at Malory Towers had been, grateful as she would always be to it since she had found Bill there, she was very happy to have left now.

Finally, they broke apart and headed back to their house, arm in arm, just as they had walked back to the school that perfect day. They were nearly at the door, when Bill suddenly gave an exclamation. 

“Wait here!” she told Clarissa, and sprang ahead to open the door, pushing it wide.

“What are you doing?” Clarissa demanded. 

“You’re supposed to carry brides over the threshold, aren’t you?” Bill said as she hurried back to Clarissa, placing one arm around her back and the other at her knees.

Clarissa laughed and put her arms around Bill’s neck as she was swept into the air. “Bill, you adorable idiot. I never knew you were such a romantic! We’ve been in and out about a hundred times already.”

“I know, but this is the first time we’re going in just by ourselves,” Bill replied, carrying Clarissa the few steps to the door. “The others don’t count.”

Carefully, Bill turned sideways so the laughing girl in her arms wouldn’t hit against the frame, and walked through. Still holding Clarissa, she stepped around the door and pushed it shut with a nudge from one foot, then bent her head to kiss her again.

“I wonder if I could carry you upstairs?” she mused, murmuring the words against Clarissa’s lips.

“You’re not going to try,” Clarissa said firmly, ignoring the thrill of the idea. She wasn’t going to risk sprained muscles or being dropped on the stairs on their first night here! “I’m smaller than you, but I’m not that light! Put me down, silly.” 

Clarissa didn’t relinquish her grip around Bill’s neck as her wife put her down. Instead, as soon as she was on her feet again, she stepped closer to Bill and kissed her firmly. Only then did she let go and step back. Not far, just enough to take Bill’s hands and pull her towards the stairs, towards the start of their married life. 


End file.
